


Eternity

by msraven



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Star Trek Fusion, Dubious Science, M/M, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 07:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13185465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: After years apart, Commander Phil Coulson takes a post on the USS Avenger in the hopes of rekindling his relationship with Lieutenant Clint Barton. He should have known that nothing related to Clint is ever simple.





	Eternity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laurakaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurakaye/gifts).



> Written for Laurakaye as part of the Clint/Coulson Holiday Exchange. I fused a few of your prompts and hope you enjoy the fic as much as I did writing it.
> 
> To my always wonderful beta (you know who you are), thank you once again for your help and insightful comments. None of my fics would be truly complete without your guidance. ♥

Phil took a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous anticipation bubbling up inside of him as the shuttlecraft approached the far end of the space dock and he caught sight of the USS Avenger for the first time. The Avenger had once been an Akira-class vessel, now modified by her chief engineer to the point of being unrecognizable to her original designers. Stark had changed everything from propulsion to weapon systems, but the largest modification had been his replacing the computer systems with an AI that allowed the Avenger to run with only a quarter of the typically required crew. This made available positions on the Avenger rare, especially considering the reputation of the Avenger crew and the tight-knit community they had created. Phil took another calming breath as they finally touched down inside the landing bay, grateful for his long friendship with Admiral Fury that had led to his new posting on the Avenger.

The doors opened to reveal Captain Rogers waiting to greet him. After all of Phil’s time teaching at Starfleet Academy, Rogers is one of the few captains that he doesn’t know, at least not personally. Phil had taught history lessons on the decorated war veteran—Captain of the USS Howling, killed when he crashed his ship into a rogue Klingon outpost to prevent all out war with the Federation. No one had imagined that the captain would be found alive decades later, trapped in a stasis field accidentally created by the explosion of his ship and a secret Klingon weapon. Fury had lobbied for Starfleet Command to reinstate Rogers during the Chitauri invasion, pulling together an eclectic crew that has now saved Starfleet several times over. 

“Welcome to the Avenger, Commander Coulson,” Rogers greeted as Phil stepped forward to shake his offered hand. 

“Glad to be here Captain. I can only hope to live up to the standards of my predecessor.”

“I don't doubt it. Your record is exemplary and both Hill and Fury speak very highly of you.”

Anything Phil would have said in response was interrupted when a red streak barreled into the shuttle bay from outside. The red streak slowed as it swerved in their direction and revealed itself to be Chief Engineer Stark in a modified EVA suit. Stark's spacesuit, unlike the standard Starfleet issue, was a fiery red and appeared to have added propulsion in both the feet and hands. The faceplate lifted to reveal a cockily grinning Stark who gave the captain a jaunty salute. 

“All systems ready, Mon Capitan!”

Rogers only sighed silently at Stark’s antics, but Phil couldn’t help raising an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“Aren’t system diagnostics typically performed from _inside_ the vessel?”

“That, Officer Officer,” Stark responded, “is what makes us better than the other ships in the fleet! A personal touch and —“

“A reason for Stark to show off his new suit,” Rogers finished with an affectionate grin even as Stark sputtered. “You’ll get used to it… but I forget you already know one another from the Academy.”

“We do,” Phil replied calmly while Stark, as usual, began his tirade of how Phil had flunked him from his introduction to Starfleet class, until they were all distracted by one of the inner doors opening simultaneously with a new shuttle craft entering the bay. 

“Phil,” Natasha greeted warmly as she walked through the door. She approached with a small, sincere smile and gave him a quick hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to be here.”

Natasha looked over Phil’s shoulder, noting the surprised look on her captain’s face as she wasn’t known to openly show affection for many people. “Phil was the supervising officer on our first tour,” she explained.

“Ah,” Rogers responded simply. 

Phil had to assume the captain was already aware that two of his crew had once been part of a semi-secret organization within Starfleet tasked with uncovering and defusing threats to the Federation. The Starfleet Headquarters Investigation, Emissary, and Liaisons Department had been created after Rogers’ believed-death, a reaction to a threat Starfleet felt should have been found long before it cost them a decorated captain. Most people believed that the "investigation" existed only to improve the acronym and SHIELD worked hard to maintain that belief. As far as Phil knew, only the Avenger bridge crew were aware of their affiliation with SHIELD. 

Natasha turned back to Phil and he's surprised to see the tiny furrow between her brows. She was highly concerned about something. "I only just got back and heard you’d be taking over as First Officer. Does Clint—“

“Hawkeye!" Stark called out and Phil spun to face the open door of the shuttle craft that had just landed—his confusion about Natasha's reaction overridden by the need to see the reason he's on the Avenger at all. Stark crowded forward, somehow managing to bounce on his toes while still in the EVA suit, and began bombarding his crewmate with questions before he could fully exit the craft.

"How'd she handle? Did the stabilizers compensate like we planned? Phaser targeting still off? Were you able to get to get beyond warp 2? Did you try the secondary weapons systems?"

"They've been working together on upgrades," Rogers offered, but Phil didn't respond, too focused on trying to get a glimpse of Clint from behind Stark's suit. "Stark! Take a breath."

Stark followed the order and Clint took advantage of the pause to answer. "Better. Yes, No. Two-point-three. No time. I've already started the data download." 

Clint gave Stark a quick pat on the shoulder, stepped around him, and met Phil's eyes for the first time in nearly five years. Everything else in the room faded as Phil basked in the open affection in Clint's eyes. Phil felt his heart stutter and then take up a steady rhythm, a vague sensation in Phil's mind telling him it matched Clint's. There was a quiet, surprised gasp—quickly suppressed—from behind Phil, which he assumed came from Natasha, and then Rogers cleared his throat hesitantly.

"Uh… welcome back, Hawkeye. You left before we received word that Commander Coulson would be joining us as First Officer."

"Admiral Fury let me know," Clint responded without breaking eye contact with Phil. "Welcome aboard, sir."

"Thank you," Phil answered quietly and matched Clint's small smile, hoping that his happiness at seeing Clint again was visible in his own eyes. 

"You saw Fury?" Rogers asked and Clint turned away from Phil with a nod to his captain.

"It's why I didn't have time to check the secondary weapons. Stopped by his office before I headed back here." 

Clint handed Rogers a data drive, who accepted it with a grumble. "He knows he can contact me directly, right?"

"That's somewhat higher profile than contacting an old friend," Clint pointed out and then smirked. "Plus you know how Fury likes his dramatic flair."

"Of course," Rogers agreed with a rueful grin and then straightened into what Phil assumed was his captain mode. "We'll have to postpone your ship's tour, Commander. Stark, Barton—Let's start final flight and weapons checks. Tell everyone to be ready to leave dock in thirty minutes. Briefing room in twenty."

"I'll show Phil his quarters," Natasha volunteered as Barton and Stark immediately split off to complete their assigned tasks in time to make the briefing. Phil watched Clint look over his shoulder, giving him another smile and meeting Natasha's eyes for a brief moment before turning away. 

Rogers nodded his thanks and they walked with him out of the shuttle bay before splitting off in different directions. 

“Hill was past due for her own command,” Natasha said thoughtfully as they walked toward the crew quarters, “but I’ll admit I was surprised to hear you gave up your ship.”

“Exploring the outer reaches of space was not as exciting as I’d believed it to be.” Natasha remained silent, but Phil felt as if she was still waiting for him to continue. He wasn’t sure what she was expecting of him as they stopped in front of what he assumed must be his quarters. “It was… _I_ was lonely.”

Natasha searched his face for a moment and then gave him a sincere smile. “It’s good to have you here, Phil.”

“Thank you. I’m very glad to be here.”

~^~

When Phil made it to the briefing room a few minutes later, all of the bridge crew were there with the exception of the Captain. Clint was standing in the back of the room speaking quietly to a young woman while the rest were seated around the conference table.

“You must be Commander Coulson,” greeted a lieutenant who stood and held out his hand. “I’m Sam Wilson.”

“Helmsman,” Phil acknowledged and returned the handshake. “Good to meet you.”

“Nice to have you aboard,” Bruce said warmly as Phil turned and shook hands with the remaining officers. 

“Dr. Banner. Dr. Cho. Glad to be here.”

Clint walked over, gently guiding the young woman he’d been talking to toward Phil. “Phil. I’d like you to meet Wanda, the newest member of our crew.”

“Welcome to the Avenger,” Wanda said in a quiet voice that Phil placed as Betazoid.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Phil responded with a nod and a smile without extending his hand, as per protocol when interacting with a telepathic race. Natasha was an exception based on their past friendship and her ironclad control of her abilities. 

Clint beamed at him over Wanda’s shoulder, looking every part the proud older brother. Phil made a mental note to ask later how she’d joined the crew. He was willing to bet that Clint had played a big part in it, likely similar to how Natasha had joined Starfleet and SHIELD. 

“We have a mission,” Rogers relayed as he stepped into the room and everyone took their seats as he put up a display that projected above the center of the table. 

“A mind bomb?” Stark asked after a moment looking at the display. 

“What would the Ferengi want with a bomb that disabled telepaths?” Wilson chimed in. 

“They did have a trade dispute with Betazed a while back,” Wanda offered. 

Natasha shook her head. “That was settled in the Ferengi’s favor.”

“They could be trying to rob a dilithium crystal mine.” Several heads turned toward Clint in confusion and he clarified, “The new Nexus mine uses all telepaths as security.”

“How do you know that?” Stark asked and Clint shrugged. 

“I read it somewhere.”

Phil had a feeling that Clint, or Natasha, or both had been approached by Nexus with job offers. 

“Or they could be trying to take over the mine completely,” Phil theorized. “There are rumors that Nexus is planning to join the Federation. If the Ferengi hope to gain control, they need to do it while Nexus is still unprotected.”

Rogers nodded in agreement. “I think Coulson may have this one right. It would have to be something big to cause the Ferengi to work with AIM.”

“AIM again?” Bruce groaned. “They give scientists a bad name.”

“How severe is the trauma expected to be caused by the bomb?” Cho asked. 

“Fury’s team doesn’t know,” Rogers answered changed the display to show a small moon in a nearby system. “All they have right now is the location of the AIM facility that’s working on the bomb. We need to go in and get confirmation so that Fury can go in and shut the place down. That means a small away team and the Avenger will need to be hidden, but within transporter range for emergencies.”

“I can warp in and keep us on the far side of planet,” Wilson stated confidently. “Away from their sensors.”

“My updated cloaking shield is operational on the shuttle craft,” Stark confirmed. 

“And assuming AIM hasn’t drastically changed their protocols, I should be able to target their generators and cause enough of a distraction to get us in unnoticed.”

Natasha turned to Clint with a frown. “What makes you think you’re the one going?”

“One, I’m the one most familiar with the shuttle’s targeting systems. Two, we can’t risk putting you in the line of fire of an unknown telepathic weapon. And three… I don’t have a three.”

“How do we know you won’t be affected?” Wanda asked, clearly concerned.

“We don’t,” Bruce replied. “Though if I were to guess at the science behind the bomb, it’s impact is probably relative to the individual’s telepathic ability.”

Cho nodded in agreement. “With the damage Clint has already sustained, any affect the bomb may have should be minimized.”

Phil looked over in surprise, amazed at how much Clint seemed to have shared of his history—it spoke volumes of how he’s come to trust his crew mates. Clint smiled back reassuringly and Phil decided to put his own trust in Clint. If he trusted them, then Phil would need to do the same. 

“Thoughts, Commander?” Rogers prompted. 

“Plan is sound. Let’s keep comms open from the moment the shuttle leaves the bay. If AIM blocks it as you approach, we’ll know they’re expecting you.”

“Nice call,” Rogers nodded in agreement. “So it will be at least Hawkeye and I on the away team. Stark, Banner, we’ll need someone who can make sense of the tech when we find it.”

“I’d prefer to stay onboard, if you don’t mind,” Bruce requested. 

“Works for me,” Stark grinned. “I’m more than willing to put the smack down on AIM for misuse of science on your behalf.”

“Nobody is smacking anyone,” Rogers reminded them. “This a reconnaissance mission. Let’s not go looking for trouble.”

“Dunno, Cap,” Clint drawled. “Trouble’s usually pretty good at finding us.”

“Reconnaissance mission,” Rogers stressed before directing his next comment at Wilson. “Prepare to leave space dock immediately. Warp five to the coordinates Fury gave us.” He looked toward Stark and Clint after Wilson left the room. “You’ve got four hours to prepare what you need and then assemble in the shuttle bay. The rest of you prep the ship for emergency measures.”

There was a chorus of “Yes, Captain” and then the crew dispersed. Clint was swept away by Dr. Cho and Wanda before Phil could catch him, which at least let him focus on what the Captain’s rundown of the Avenger, her crew, and her capabilities. 

Phil wasn’t able to seek Clint out until they were close to their destination. He sat down across from Clint as he ate his usual pre-mission meatloaf meal and slid a chocolate brownie toward him. 

“For luck.”

Clint swallowed and grinned. “You remembered.”

“There’s nothing about you I’ve forgotten.”

Clint looked down at his plate as he blushed before looking back up at Phil in awe. “Fury said you requested this post.”

“I did.” Phil reached out and placed his hand over Clint’s. “Things after the Chitauri incident were messy and I’m big enough to admit I didn’t handled it well. I was… I ran away. From everything. From us.”

“Your injury didn’t matter to me. I was worried you hated me for the part I played.”

“None of what happened was your fault. And I could never hate you.”

“If I’d told more people what I was.”

Phil squeezed Clint’s hand tightly. “ _None_ of what happened was your fault. And no one could have predicted that Loki could have used it to control you. Would you have blamed Natasha had she been in your place?”

Clint shook his head and turned his hand in Phil’s to hold on just as tightly. 

“I’ve done a lot of thinking these past few year,” Phil started, but knew they didn’t have the time for a proper conversation. “I’m done running away from what matters, so I need you to get back from this mission safely. Okay?”

“Okay,” Clint nodded. “I’ve got a lot to tell you too.”

~^~

“We’ve reached what looks like the labs. Still no signs of resistance.”

Phil frowned and turned to look at the communications officer, who’d been called back from shore leave and had arrived just prior to their departure. 

Thor listened for a second and then gave a slight shake of his head. “Whatever Hawkeye hit must have put the base on lockdown. The only chatter on the line are queries on when they can return to work.”

“Then let’s hope our luck holds.”

Phil took a step and then mentally told himself that pacing would only signal the remaining bridge crew that he was concerned. He forced himself to take the captain’s seat between Natasha and Wanda. 

“If you were running security on that base…”

“I’d already be making a sweep,” Natasha responded. “But AIM isn’t expecting us. They’ve done a decent job making it look like a research station.”

“We’re in the lab,” Rogers whispered over the comm as Clint made a noise of disgust. 

“You sure we’re not allowed to blow this place, Cap?”

“I second Hawkeye.”

“They’ve got test subjects in criostasis,” Rogers relayed calmly. “Stark’s placing sensors on them now. Can you transport them and have Dr. Cho ready to receive them?”

“Wilson?” Phil asked and received a quick nod from the helmsman.”

“I’ve got them.”

“Transport. Beam them straight to the Med bay.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sure you should be doing that?” came Clint’s voice over the comm and the tension that had been building since the away team entered the base skyrocketed, sending a spike of fear down Phil’s spine. 

“We’re just here for information,” Rogers said, tension palpable in his voice.

“That's what I'm doing. I just want to see—“

“Aaaargh!”

“Clint! Stark, turn it off. Clint!”

Phil stood and took an involuntary step forward. “Transporter room, get—“

Phil felt a sudden, blinding pain in his head and he stumbled, thankful for Natasha’s steady hand at his elbow. 

“Get him out of there!” she yelled. 

“Clint,” Phil tried to say, but it was too late. He felt the darkness close in as Natasha guided him back to his chair and then nothing.

~^~

Phil became aware of the pounding in his head before he gained full consciousness. He suppressed a groan and blinked his eyes open, unsurprised to see the muted light of the Medical bay above him.

“Nice to have you awake,” Wanda said gently from beside his bed. She placed a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him down when he started to sit up. “You need to stay in the bed until Dr. Cho can examine you.”

“How long was I out?”

“About an hour.”

“What—“ Phil started and then stopped when Natasha and Rogers stepped up to his bedside. “What happened?”

Rogers glanced at Natasha before answering. “They had some sort of failsafe. Stark was trying to access what looked like hidden folders when the device went off.”

“They must have thought their biggest risk were the test subjects they were using,” Natasha added. “We’ve officially locked down the base and Fury is on his way with reinforcements.”

“That’s not really what I meant,” Phil clarified. 

Rogers glanced at Natasha again before making a small motion toward Wanda. “We’ll inform Dr. Cho Commander Coulson is awake.”

Natasha stepped closer as the other stepped away, her face unreadable as Phil waited for her to speak. After a moment, she dropped some of the stoic facade and looked down at Phil a little sadly. 

“Clint is bonded to you.”

“That— That’s not possible,” Phil protested, though he knew deep down what Natasha was telling him was the truth. It was the only thing that explained his collapse on the bridge. He just never imagined…

“Bondings are rare with Clint’s people, but not impossible.”

“With the damage from his childhood…”

Natasha shook her head. “You know he didn’t lose all his telepathic ability. He may not be able to hear most others, but he is still able to communicate telepathically if he chooses.”

“Most others?”

“Clint can hear Wanda and now myself on rare occasions.” Natasha sighed and took Phil’s hand as she explained. “There is so little known about Clint’s race with so few of them left and scattered, especially one with Clint’s condition. He remembered his mother telling him how rare bonds were between two healthy adults. Clint didn’t believe he was capable of forming a bond.”

“I’m not a telepath.”

“When have you ever known Clint to abide by anyone’s rules?” Natasha grinned affectionately and Phil couldn’t stop his answering smile. Leave it to Hawkeye to unintentionally defy the rules of the universe.

“When did it—“ Phil began to ask and then stopped because he knew exactly when the bond must have formed. “Pegasus.”

After years of denying their growing feelings, Phil and Clint had finally set aside their fears of ruining their friendship and taken the next step. They had one glorious night together before the Pegasus base failed and Loki had stolen Clint into his ranks. Phil had used the feeling of rightness and belonging in Clint’s arms to carry him through the days that followed. His only thought had been to get Clint back, but then he’d been injured in the final battle and he’d run away to lead a small scout ship on the edges of Federation space. Despite his team’s accomplishments, Phil had never felt settled. It had taken him years to realize he was pining for the sense of belonging he’d only ever felt with one man, longer before he’d deemed himself healthy enough to return. 

Phil realized now that none of it mattered—his perceived failure, the injury, the years wasted. All that mattered, all that had ever mattered, was Clint. 

“Clint,” Phil gasped and sat up, grateful for Natasha’s steady hand when the room spun for a bit. “Where’s Clint?”

Natasha glanced over at the next bed and Phil saw that Clint was lying there, still unconscious. He noticed the look of open concern on Natasha's face and realized something was very wrong. 

“What's wrong with him?" Phil asked, sliding off the bed on unsteady legs to stand next to Clint. "Is Clint going to be okay?”

“There’s nothing physically wrong with him," Dr. Cho answered as she walked in with Rogers and Wanda. "I was expecting Lieutenant Barton to already be awake since his physiology should be more capable to dealing with the trauma you two suffered. Dr. Banner and Stark are poring through the data from the base in case there's something there to explain why he hasn't woken up.”

Phil reached out and gently took Clint's lax hand in his. "But he'll wake up?"

"We see no reason for him not to."

~^~

Two days later, Clint was still unconscious and Phil was spending every free moment he had sitting next to his bed in the med bay. Fury's squad had arrived to take over the AIM base, but nothing they'd found in the databases could explain Clint's coma. Not even the AIM scientist seemed to understand—they insisted that the bomb they'd created was only intended to _temporarily_ incapacitate telepaths. All Phil could do was hold Clint's hand and try to will his eyes open.

"Wanda may have an idea for how to wake Clint up."

Phil looked up at Natasha's words and tried to calm the sudden flare of hope they elicited. The past two days had been fraught with disappointment. "Oh?"

Wanda nodded and held Phil's gaze. "I believe you're the key we've been neglecting."

"Me?"

"Yes. We automatically assumed that your losing consciousness on the bridge was due to the effects of the bomb coming through the bond."

"How else would I have felt anything if it wasn't through the bond?"

"Wanda thinks it may not have been the bomb which caused the trauma, but the bond itself," Natasha answered.

"I don't understand."

"I've been doing research on what little information there is on bond," Wanda said evenly. "On what would happen if it were rejected."

There was no direct accusation in her voice, yet Phil heard it anyway. "I would never—" 

"Clint is the closest thing I have to family and I knew nothing of you two days ago," Wanda countered unapologetically.

"Her theory has merit," Natasha interjected quickly. "If Clint thought the bond could hurt you…"

"He'd try to shut it down," Phil sighed. He looked down at Clint and brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. Clint's self-sacrificing nature was both endearing and frustrating. Despite many arguments over the years, Phil had yet to convince Clint that he was important enough to put first. He never planned to stop trying though.

"So what do we do?"

"We need to reopen the bond."

"How do we do that when Clint's asleep?" 

Wanda stepped closer, still clearly assessing whether Phil was worthy of Clint. "We would need to open it from your side. Since you are not a telepath, then I can help guide you."

"Okay."

"I do not think you understand."

"What's there to understand?" Phil asked, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He'd admittedly made mistakes, leaving Clint behind, but he didn't need to be judged by someone who barely knew him. "If we need to reopen the bond to wake Clint up, then let's just get it done."

"Phil," Natasha said softly, walking over to place a hand over where Phil gripped Clint's. "Wanda isn't questioning your commitment to Clint. What she needs you to know is what will happen if she help you open the bond from your end."

Phil took a deep breath and then looked at Wanda, waiting for her to continue.

"Up until now, the bond has been one-sided. Clint could sense your emotions and sense your general well-being. If something happened to you, Clint would be… affected."

"Clint felt you get stabbed," Natasha added. "It's what helped me break him from Loki's control. He stumbled and I was able to knock the sense back into his head. Clint knew you were alive before Fury told us and he knew…"

"He knew why I ran away."

Natasha nodded. "He always had faith you'd come back, even if I didn't."

"Because he knew I loved him. All my insecurities… He was waiting for me to remember what really mattered.”

“I have found no records of a bond with a non-telepath,” Wanda said. “But if you accept the bond, even if it requires my help, I have to assume you will gain at least some of the same connection with Clint. One of you would not be able to survive without the other.”

“That doesn’t sound— Wait. Are you saying that if I hadn’t survived Loki’s attack, Clint would have…”

“Died. Yes. Minds are more powerful than you humans believe. This is why I need you to understand the full implications before we proceed.”

“I understand. Do it.”

“Phil…”

“Commander…”

“No,” Phil said emphatically. “I don’t need to know anymore and I don’t need more time to make my decision. I’ve spent the past few years living in regret. I’ve done all the thinking I need to.”

“You are sure?” Wanda asked again, though Phil could see the approval in her eyes. 

“Yes. The bond, I have to believe, is a physical reminder of how much I loved Clint in the moment it formed. Being allowed to be a true participant in the bond doesn’t scare me. I don’t love him any less. There is no other choice. I won’t let him sleep until he dies.”

“They may still find another way to wake him,” Natasha reminded him. 

Phil shook his head. “They’ve had no viable ideas in two days. Something about this feels right and I’d rather put my faith in us instead of luck.” He shrugged. “If it doesn’t work, we keep looking, but I’m not afraid of being mentally connected to the man I love. I know it won’t be simple or easy, nothing with Clint ever is. Let me do this.” 

“Okay,” Natasha finally agreed and Phil let out a breath in relief. Natasha had always been Clint’s unofficial protector and Phil knew that Wanda wouldn’t proceed without her approval. 

“Are you ready?” Wanda asked. 

“Yes. What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing. You shouldn’t be able to feel me enter your mind, but if you do, don’t block me.” Wanda smiled at Phil’s skeptical frown. “It is not like the stories you humans are so fond of. If it helps, focus on Clint and remembering what you felt for him the night you bonded.”

Phil nodded and looked back down at Clint. He expected to feel something despite what Wanda had said, but nothing followed except several minutes of silence. A glance showed that Wanda’s eyes were closed in concentration and Phil refocused on Clint just in time to see his eyes flutter open. 

“What...? Where...? Phil?”

“Stark set off the mind bomb. You’ve been asleep in the med bay for two days. You…” Phil stopped to examine a new sensation in his mind. “You have a headache.”

“I feel like I’ve been hit in the head by Natasha. How do you…” 

“Your bond is complete,” Wanda chimed in and Clint sat up, startled eyes flying toward her. "It seems as if your attempt to close off the bond separated your consciousness from your telepathic mind. It must have been what was keeping you asleep."

Clint's eyes shifted nervously to Phil for a moment before settling back on Wanda. "What does that have to do with the bond?" 

"The bond was the only remaining path between them."

Clint's hand had slipped from Phil's when he'd sat up and now he wrung them in his lap, seeking out Natasha in clear distress.

"I never meant… He doesn't need…"

"Be calm, bratishka," Natasha soothed and placed a steadying hand on Clint's ankle. "Your faith was not misplaced. Phil made the choice."

"And I don't regret it," Phil told him when Clint finally met his eyes again. 

"I was trying to—"

"Protect me. I know. Thank you, but don't do it again. No more sacrificing yourself." Phil felt a rush of affection from Clint at the familiar argument and he hoped Clint could feel the same affection he felt when he saw Clint's grin. "We're in this together now, right?"

Clint's eyes widened, but he nodded. "Yeah. Together."

Phil and Clint continued to look at each other sappily until Natasha grumbled, "Just kiss him already."

"Are they always like this?" Phil heard Wanda ask as he complied, wrapping his arms around Clint and giving him a tender kiss. 

"You should have seen them before. The pining was torturous to watch."

"Hey!" Clint squaked in protest. "We weren't that bad."

Phil couldn’t hold back his laughter because the pining really had been horrible. He soothed Clint's pout with another kiss and assumed that the bond was already sending everything he was feeling—joy, awe, love, affection—to Clint, so words were unnecessary. 

“I love you, Phil,” Clint whispered in his ear when they parted. “I’m glad you’re finally here.”

Phil pulled back to look Clint in the eye. Maybe some words were necessary. “I love you too, Clint. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

The med bay doors opened, interrupting their moment, and Drs. Cho, Banner, and Stark stumbled in. They all looked tired, but happily surprised when they saw that Clint was awake.

"You're awake!"

"We didn't believe it when Helen got the alert."

"Don't do that to me, man. I need help finishing the quinjet. I renamed it, by the way. What do you think of—"

"Cap's on his way," Banner interjected with an elbow to Stark's ribs. Stark frowned and rubbed his side, but didn't continue his commentary.

"I'm okay," Clint said reassuringly, having seen the worry through his friend's words. "We'll take the quinjet out as soon as I get rid of this headache."

Dr. Cho stepped forward with a scanner as the med bay doors opened and a clearly relieved Captain Rogers stepped through with a wide smile. 

"Clint! It's good to see you awake. Bruce, can you let the rest of the crew know Clint's okay before they all desert the bridge to see for themselves?" 

Clint blushed in pleased embarrassment and Phil wrapped an arm around his shoulders, glad to feel how happy Clint's new family made him. He placed a kiss to Clint's temple, well away from the scanner Dr. Cho was still skimming over him, then looked up as the med bay doors opened once again. 

Phil hadn't expected Fury to stride in, taking in the scene with his customary scowl. Their old friend's eye finally settled on Phil's arm still around Clint's shoulders and the way they were leaning in toward each other. Fury raised an eyebrow and then treated them to one of his rare smiles. 

“Well it’s about damn time.”

_Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. —Henry Van Dyke_

~fin~

**Author's Note:**

> The Avenger Crew:
> 
>   * Captain - Steve
>   * First Officer - Formerly Maria, now Phil
>   * Chief Engineer - Tony
>   * Science - Bruce
>   * Medical - Cho
>   * Communications - Thor
>   * Security - Natasha
>   * Tactical - Clint
>   * Flight Controls/Helmsman - Sam
>   * Counselor - Wanda
> 



End file.
